Proving Grounds actually has great potential...

[lordsphinx]

I was just reading the new “Proving Grounds” content, and I think this has a potential to finally help in H dungeons, and LFR. Here’s my idea…

Upon reaching lvl 90, you get a quest to go to the proving grounds that will test your knowledge of your class and spec.

Before you are able to enter H Dungeons or LFR:

H Dungeons- Must complete Proving Grounds- Silver for each spec you plan on entering with. If you are a shaman and haven’t completed the resto “Proving Grounds: Silver”, you cannot queue for a H dungeon as Resto. Same goes with Enhance & Elemental, and other classes and specs.

LFR- Must complete Proving Grounds- Gold for each spec you plan on entering with. Same scenario as above.

They already have the lockout ability in place when it comes to gear, I can’t see why it would be any different for achievements.

If you fail to complete the proving ground x# of times, it will start popping up tips for your class and spec. Example: “Your whole party is taking damage at the same time, and you’ve been casting G Healing Wave. You should try to cast Healing Rain and Chain Heal instead”. This would allow for the game to help new players learn what they should be doing to effectively play their role. If you are failing at Bronze times, tips would be very basic, core competency types of things. If you fail Silver, it could be more rotation, gem, enchant, reforge types of things. If you’re failing gold, it could be more complex theories, small but powerful tips, etc etc…

This would also be helpful in stopping someone from queing as tank when they only have DPS gear. If you can’t complete the Proving Ground in your DPS gear, then you better get back to farming regular dungeons until you can. Also, people have been whining about players’ skill level decline for years now, and some people have even pointed out that there isn’t very much in game to help brand new players learn what they should be doing. I think this could solve both problems, while at the same time giving those experienced players what they’ve been asking for in weeding out the window lickers who just don't care.

[ComputerNerd]

No, we do not need another measure of readiness.
The best place to earn the experience will remain in player groups which are way less predictable than anything proving grounds can realistically throw at you.
What you describe is a community problem, not a gear or experience issue.

[Nairobi]

I wholeheartedly support this idea. But, I foresee many people claiming that it will be a huge barrier to entry for new players (or even existing ones on alts) that don't want to invest the time it takes to get X/Y/Z medal before going to gear up.

Maybe requiring the achiv on ANY toon would be a good middle ground? Must have Silver Healer on your ACCOUNT (not toon) to queue as heals, etc.

[mistahwilshire]

To be honest I don't think most people will take the time to do it with the goal of improving themselves and if it was mandatory before entering LFR then people would just hate on it.

I'm way way way more excited about challenging friends and guildies scores in endless mode.

[Nobleshield]

I would support some kind of "Must complete Proving Grounds" quest to queue but the tips things is too much and too situational.

[Floopa]

So basically:

> do proving grounds gold
> enter LFR
> afk LFR
> win loot

Smart idea.

[thurizas]

I'm sure the community will jump on this and use it ......

"LF tank for 25-man pug ToT. Please link Lei Shen achievement and gold tanking proving grounds"........

[kev-dk-the-second]

I like this idea personally. Lots of people queue for dungeons without knowing what they are doing and when you try to help them they tell you to fuck off. At least with that you're sure the people in your group has a basic understanding of what he is supposed to do.

[Kalmah]

People in LFR suck because they don't care. Forcing them through proving grounds won't make them care.

[Tziva]

First off, silver is tuned to be the "normal mode" raiding level, so it's a little too steep of a requirement to get into LFR - if anything, it should be bronze.

That said, I don't think LFR (or any kind of raiding) needs any more mandatory prerequisites besides ilvl. If raid leaders want to require certain levels for their raids, than fine, that is their prerogative.

[Nobleshield]

The only thing I'm afraid of with this is that people will demand X proving grounds as yet another gearscore/ilevel/achivement type of shit. The only thing worse would be if there were leaderboards for Proving Grounds.

[Ratboy]

Nope! I already know how to Tank, Heal and do Damage, I don't want to have to jump through an extra hoop to "prove" that. Also I think Proving Grounds will go the way of the Brawler's Guild, people will care about it for a few weeks after it's released then completely forget about it.

[mistahwilshire]

The only thing worse would be if there were leaderboards for Proving Grounds.

There is a least some form of friends leaderboard already (at the very least).

This is the absolute best part of proving grounds. Competition is fun.

- - - Updated - - -

Nope! I already know how to Tank, Heal and do Damage, I don't want to have to jump through an extra hoop to "prove" that. Also I think Proving Grounds will go the way of the Brawler's Guild, people will care about it for a few weeks after it's released then completely forget about it.

So explain why BG is always full on my server.

[Frolk]

Hope that ull be FORCED to at least complete the proving ground before u can que for FUTURE LFR. (aka SoO and ones after)
If u say that its a "barrier" for people, well sux for bad people, if u havnt learned how to play ur role by the time u reach 90 and able to enter future LFRs then u have no place in LFR and should go back to scenarios and 5 mans.

[Sinndra]

I'm sure the community will jump on this and use it ......

"LF tank for 25-man pug ToT. Please link Lei Shen achievement and gold tanking proving grounds"........

yah sadly, i see this becoming the standard also. Proving Grounds sounds great on paper, but its just gonna cause more drama for pugs. its gonna be awful. i hope the rewards are better then the stupid Brawlers Guild stuff. maybe that will ease the pain of being required to have these achievements before being allowed to raid.

[Tziva]

There is a least some form of friends leaderboard already (at the very least).

This is the absolute best part of proving grounds. Competition is fun.

There are no leaderboards for proving grounds.

[Lime]

Am I the only one who actually likes it, not because it helps other players out (which isn't a negative), but mainly because its more content to do?

But then again, I am an Achievement whore, so that is probably why I'm so excited for it.

[mistahwilshire]

There are no leaderboards for proving grounds.

Endless mode tracks your scores which you can then compare with other people aka pseudo-friends leaderboard.

It's a shame that there isn't a realmwide leaderboard like CMs tbh.

[Nobleshield]

Endless mode tracks your scores which you can then compare with other people aka pseudo-friends leaderboard.

It's a shame that there isn't a realmwide leaderboard like CMs tbh.

That would be terrible. Just more e-peen stroking like CMs are. That said though I'm certainly looking forward to testing my tank skills. I wish the titles were better, something like "the Indestructible" (or the Juggernaut) for tanks, "the Destroyer" for DPS and I don't know what for Healers.

[Tziva]

Endless mode tracks your scores which you can then compare with other people aka pseudo-friends leaderboard.

It's not a leaderboard though, it's just a number which you can tell other people. Like "hey, I got to wave 32, what did you get to?"

I'm not sure where exactly it will end up tracking your best record (statistics or achievement or a tab?), but it will be a personal thing. It's not something where you can look up an actual ranking leaderboard and compare yourself with others.

edit with more info: it will track on statistics which I believe is accessible on the armory which means you can probably expect third party sites to do leaderboards at least. But none in-game, not like CMs.